Jesus Calms the Storm Preschool Activities and Craft

Using Jesus calms the storm preschool activities are a great way to teach children that they can trust in Jesus, and He will never leave them.

Beginning Activity for Jesus Calms the Storm Preschool Learning

During circle time, have a tub of water with a toy boat in the tub and an electric fan nearby. Ask the children what they think will happen to the boat when you turn on the fan. Start the fan on low speed and move it up to high. Ask them if they would be afraid if they were on the boat. Have you ever been in a storm? Were you afraid? When do you feel scared? Discuss times when you were afraid. Do you know we can always depend on Jesus to take care of us when we are afraid? Today we are going to read a story about Jesus and his disciples. They were on a boat in the ocean and a terrible storm started rocking the boat.The disciple's were afraid so Jesus calmed the storm. Open the Bible and read Mark 4:35-41.

Connect the Children's Lives to The Story

Preschoolers feel comfort in knowing they can always trust Jesus to be present with them in good times and in bad times. Stress to the children that they should never doubt God's love for them. Faith is trusting in God's love for you even when bad things happen. Stress that all things are possible if you believe and do not fear. Tell kids that Jesus will never fail them.

Jesus Calms the Storm Preschool Craft

Discuss with the children how the disciples felt when the storm was rocking the boat. They were afraid so they awoke Jesus. Jesus got up and calmed the storm.

Materials:

Large Styrofoam or paper cup

Paint or markers

Toothpick or small stick

Tape or play dough

13 Popsicle sticks for each child

Knife or scissors

Paper

Hole punch

Directions:

This project requires adult assistance to cut off the top half of the cup with a knife or scissors.

Cut a Styrofoam or paper cup in half width wise. Let the children decorate the inside with paints or markers. Cut out a small triangle from the paper for each child. Punch two holes along one side of the triangle and weave the toothpick or stick through the holes. Help the children tape the sail inside the Styrofoam cup. Place a small lump of play dough in the cup.

Push the play dough into the bottom of the cup. Encourage the children to decorate 12 of the Popsicle sticks to resemble the disciples and 1 to represent Jesus. Help them place the people into the play dough.

Jesus Calms the Storm Memory Verse

Have the kids repeat the memory verse after the teacher a few times.

Memory Verse:

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you." Psalm 56:3

Fun Interactive Activity for Jesus Calms the Storm

Have the children hold onto the blue sheet. Put a ball in the center. Next, let the children wave it really fast. Place a ball or other soft object on the sheet and try to keep it from falling off. Have one person yell stop and have all the children stop waving the sheet and explain how Jesus calmed the storm.

Storm in a Bottle

Kids will have fun making a storm in a bottle. This is an easy activity the teacher can do with preschool children.

Materials:

Plastic bottles

Salt

Dishwashing liquid

Blue food coloring

Glue

How to make a storm in bottle:

Fill a plastic bottle two-thirds full with water. Add one teaspoon of salt, a drop of dishwashing liquid and two drops of blue food coloring. Glue the lid on the bottle and shake. The mixture will form a funnel like a storm.

Snack and Prayer

Prayer

Thank You, Jesus, for always being with us. "When I am afraid, I will trust in You." Thank you for always hearing and answering our prayers. In Jesus name, Amen.

Snack

Premade cupcakes with blue frosting

A bag of jellybeans

Lifesavers

Blue Kool-Aid

The teacher will bring cupcakes frosted with blue icing to represent the ocean. Help the children place a jellybean on the top for the boat. Reinforce the lesson by discussing how Jesus is our personal lifesaver, and encourage each child to place a lifesaver over their jellybean boat. Bring blue juice or Kool-Aid for the students to drink.

Additional Jesus calms the storm preschool activities include singing songs such as "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" , "My God is So Big" , and "Jesus Loves the Little Children." A good time to do this would be after the children have finished their snacks.

Another hands on activity includes acting out the story. The children pretend they are in a storm and wave their arms and bodies back and forth while they make sounds like thunder. The teacher places a piece of blue tape on the floor to represent water. The children take turns jumping over the water and saying their memory verse as they jump across the water. This is a great way for them to practice the memory verse.

Teacher's note: Be ready to prompt the children if they have trouble reciting the verse from memory.

References

"Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Copyright 1973, 1978,1984, by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved."